Crow vs Raven Differences: ID, Behavior, Calls, Personality

Is that a crow or a raven? Telling these smart black birds apart is easier than you think once you know the key differences in size, sound, and behavior. Many focus on subtle details, but often the most obvious clues are overlooked.

Take size for example. To accurately capture this difference, the comparison below uses photos taken moments apart on the exact same perch and from the same distance:

See how much bigger the raven is? Ravens are about the same size as a red-tailed hawk while crows are about the size of a small seagull. This is often your first major clue, and can be seen even from long distances.

Even beyond just size, their voices are another dead giveaway. Crows typically “caw” with a higher, raspy sound, while ravens “croak” with a deep, guttural resonance.

Here’s an example of a standard crow call… often referred to as a “caw”.

The raspy quality of this voice is very characteristic of Crows.

Now let’s compare it to the sound of a raven:

Notice how much deeper and more resonant the Raven call is.

And if that’s still not enough, there are also several key behavioral traits to look for that help confirm your ID even beyond size and basic calls.

#1: Detailed Visual ID: Size, Beak, Tail & Flight

As highlighted in the introduction, size is often the quickest and most reliable way to tell crows and ravens apart. But don’t be intimidated if that sounds difficult at first. Learning to judge general bird size categories is a skill you can develop very quickly!

Think about it like instantly recognizing the difference between a heavyweight boxer and a long-distance runner; their overall build and mass are distinct even if they aren’t standing side-by-side. It’s the same with crows and ravens.

• Ravens are significantly larger and bulkier. They have a heavier, more “beefy” build overall. For comparison, think Red-tailed Hawk size.
• Crows are noticeably smaller and leaner. They appear less massive. Think small gull or pigeon size.

At first you might need to start up close. Practice looking at birds and consciously placing them in a rough size category like the following:

• Small songbirds – Sparrows, chickadees, etc.
• Large songbirds – Robins, jays, (also sharp-shinned hawks)
• Crow Sized Birds – Similar size to Cooper’s hawk, pigeons, seagulls
• Raven Sized Birds – Similar size to Red-tailed hawks (Large soaring hawks)
• Largest birds – Eagles, Turkey vultures, Great blue herons

Soon, distinguishing the large raven build from the smaller crow build will become second nature, even when seeing just one bird.

While size is key, other visual details become helpful when you get a closer look or observe the birds in flight. Let’s break down the key features:

Beak & Throat Feathers:

Pay attention to the head and neck area.

• Ravens: Have a heavy, thick beak, often appearing slightly curved on top. They also possess distinct shaggy throat feathers (called hackles) which can look quite prominent, especially when puffed out, giving their neck a “bearded” or ragged appearance.
• Crows: Have a straighter, relatively thinner beak that looks more proportional to their head. Their throat feathers are smooth, lacking the shagginess of the raven.

Tail Shape (In Flight):

One of the best field marks when the birds are flying overhead is their tail shape.

• Ravens: Spread their tail into a wedge or diamond shape. The central tail feathers are noticeably longer.
• Crows: Spread their tail into a fan shape, usually squared off or slightly rounded at the end.

Flight Style & Grouping:

How the birds move through the air also offers clues.

• Wingbeats: Crows tend to have faster, more consistent wingbeats, often appearing purposeful and direct. Ravens typically use slower, deeper wingbeats and frequently mix flapping with periods of gliding or soaring.
• Soaring: Because of their size and flight style, ravens are more likely to soar like hawks (and can sometimes be mistaken for them initially), whereas crows rarely glide for extended periods.
• Grouping: While not absolute, you’ll often see ravens traveling alone or in pairs. Crows are much more likely to be seen in larger family groups or flocks.

#2: Sound Differences: Crow “Caw” vs. Raven “Croak”

Aside from the overall size, I always find vocalizations to be one of the easiest ways to identify Crows & Ravens.

Crows & Ravens both have a wide range of calls & sounds that they use for various purposes. Their calls are similar, but the tone of voice is very different.

Crow calls are raspy & high pitched. Ravens have a much deeper and more guttural voice that resonates and sounds more hollow.

Here are some audio recordings I dug up so you can hear the difference…

The Standard Crow Call

Here’s an example of a standard Crow call… often referred to as a “caw”.

Notice the raspy quality to this voice. It’s very characteristic of Crows. Almost everyone has probably heard this sound because it’s so common.

You might also notice these caws are happening in short bursts interspersed with long periods of silence. This is an important feature for telling the difference between alarm calls and contact calls.

The Standard Raven Call

Now let’s compare that Crow call to the voice of a Raven…

Notice how much deeper and resonant the Raven call is.

The actually call itself is pretty similar in terms of rhythm & length… but the voice making that sound is completely different.

A lot of people say the Ravens voice sounds more like a croak than a caw, and it’s pretty easy to hear the difference.

Crow Alarms VS Raven Alarms

These vocal differences transfer over to alarm calls too:

Besides the actual voice tone, one of the other main difference between crow & raven alarms is that ravens are less social.

When Crows alarm there are often multiple birds involved, and it can sometimes cause a pretty incredible racket!

Here’s an example of Crows alarming at a Red Shouldered Hawk.

Ravens tend to be much more subtle about their alarm patterns.

It just never has quite the same intensity as crows, but if you listen carefully in this recording… you’ll notice there are multiple Ravens making a much shorter version of their croaking call.

Next we have an example of an alarm sequence that involves both Crows & Ravens.

Listen carefully and see if you can hear the difference between the Raven alarms and Crow alarms…

The Crows in this recording are a different type, but they still have that characteristic raspy sound.

There are also a few other types of songbirds getting in on the action. They’re alarming at an Owl.

Crow Juvenile Sounds

The Juveniles too have another completely different call.

Crow younglings make a call that’s a bit higher pitched than their parents. One of the defining features of Juvenile calls is that they seem to almost never stop. It goes on all day long.

You’ll often hear this sound in late Spring or early Summer near nesting locations.

Raven Juvenile Sounds

In this recording, you can recognize the Juvenile call as the almost cartoonish sounding squawk.

There is also an adult in this recording giving a more typical Raven call.

Juvenile Ravens sound super crazy… almost like a dinosaur or a person screaming. It definitely stands out when you’re hiking in the woods!

I wrote a more in-depth analysis of juvenile raven calls that you can check out here – Juvenile Raven Vocalizations & Behavior

Clicks, rattles & other miscellaneous sounds

Crows and Ravens have a huge vocal repertoire.

Some vocalizations are only used during very specific moments and times of year, so the meaning behind a lot of these sounds is still a mystery.

It is however, pretty easy to identify Crows & Ravens by these sounds.

Here’s the Crow… This recording has a several examples of clicks & rattles. The sound is a bit quiet but it gets louder towards the end.

(If you turned up your sound to hear that last one… please remember to turn it back down before playing the next one. I don’t want you to hurt your ears)

Here’s the Raven doing a similar type of call… but you’ll notice the audio quality is completely different.

To me it sounds like someone tapping on wood blocks because of the tonal quality to it:

Ravens can also do some really bizarre sounding ping noises…

In my book – “What’s that crow saying?“, we looked at some of the most common communication patterns made by crows and what they mean.

This has prompted a lot of people to ask whether the same linguistic principles also apply to Ravens.

In general yes, Raven language works pretty much the same as Crow language… but because Ravens are so much more solitary, the actual expression is a bit more subtle (More on this in the behavior section below).

Ravens & Crows do all talk about the same topics – food, safety, territory, family contact, alarms, etc.

#3 Crow VS Raven Behavior

Once you get beyond basic ID skills, understanding the distinct behaviors of crows and ravens offers even more fascinating insights.

While closely related, their social lives, habitat choices, interactions, and even intelligence all manifest differently. Let’s explore these key behavioral differences:

Social Structure (Communal vs Solitary)

One of the clearest behavioral clues involves how many birds you see together.

Are you observing a large, often noisy, group foraging, roosting, or gathering, especially near towns or fields? You’re almost certainly watching crows.

They thrive in these communal flocks and extended family groups, comfortable sharing territory and interacting frequently.

Conversely, spotting just a single bird or a dedicated pair soaring quietly or interacting intently, particularly over more remote wilderness or mountainsides? Those are the hallmarks of the more solitary raven.

Outside of their lifelong mate, they typically prefer their own company, defending vast territories as a couple.

This fundamental difference in social strategy impacts nearly everything else they do, from nesting to finding food.

Habitat Preference & Territory (Wilderness Ravens VS Adaptable Crows)

This difference in social style also directly influences where you’re most likely to find each bird.

Ravens, valuing their space and solitude, typically claim vast territories in wilder landscapes. This includes mountains, coastal cliffs, expansive forests, deserts, or open country… generally areas with less dense human population.

Their large territories often reflect their need to find dispersed food sources and suitable, undisturbed nest sites (often on cliffs or in tall conifers).

Crows, being more communal and adaptable, thrive in a much broader range of habitats, including those heavily influenced by humans. You’ll find them readily in suburbs, city parks, agricultural fields, woodlands, and forest edges.

Their ability to exploit human-provided food sources (like garbage or crops) and tolerate closer proximity to neighbours allows them to flourish even in bustling environments. This adaptability is a key reason crows are often more numerous and visible than ravens in many populated areas.

Interactions Between Crows & Ravens

Given their distinct habitat preferences, many people believe that crow territories never overlap with ravens. But while each prefers a core habitat (ravens in wilderness, crows adaptable to cities), they do frequently meet in the extensive “edge zones” like where city meets wilderness.

In these overlapping zones, conflict isn’t constant because the areas are large enough for them to use resources like foraging grounds at different times, allowing them to simply avoid each other.

However, direct competition and aggression do happen, especially over valuable resources like nest sites (big coniferous trees are often preferred by both).

During the spring nesting season, it’s quite common to see groups of crows aggressively mobbing and chasing away solitary ravens encroaching on their perceived territory.

Studies even show that despite the raven’s larger size, the crows’ “strength in numbers” tactic often allows them to win these disputes. I explored this fascinating social advantage in one of my videos:

Intelligence & Personality Notes

Crows & Ravens are both extremely intelligent, but there are subtle differences between how that intelligence manifests.

There’s evidence to suggest that Ravens are better at pure intelligence-based problem solving, while Crows perform better when there’s a social element to the task (like facial recognition, and deciding who to trust).

In terms of the actual manifestation of their intelligence in the field, you probably won’t really be able to tell the difference.

For all practical purposes, both Crows and Ravens are extremely intelligent with a wide variety of problem solving skills that gives them a major survival edge.

Crows & ravens around the world have been observed using tools, collecting shiny objects, even mimicking human words like parrots.

They’ve also demonstrated having the ability to count with small numbers, and hold grudges against humans who do them wrong.

What Are Crows & Ravens Telling You?

Because of their incredible intelligence, both Crows & Ravens are extremely helpful messengers.

I often use their alarm calls to locate owls, hawks & eagles being mobbed in the neighbourhood.

In case you were wondering why these birds are so similar, it’s just because they’re very closely related.

Both Crows & Ravens are in the Corvid family, along with other species like Jays & Magpies.

They are technically songbirds, but their behavior is quite different from your typically backyard sparrow.

Compared to most songbirds, Corvids like Crows, Ravens, Jays & Magpies have much bigger territories and a much more confusing/misunderstood vocal repertoire.

This sometimes makes them more challenging to learn, but it’s well worth the rewards of increased awareness & messages they bring you.

If you want to learn more about Crow & Raven Language, come grab a free copy of my book – What’s That Crow Saying?